At night, for takeoffs and landings at Shoshone County Airport Area 3, with a pattern altitude of 1000 feet AGL, what is the minimum visibility and cloud clearance if remaining within 1/2 mile of the airport?

At night, for takeoffs and landings at Shoshone County Airport Area 3, with a pattern altitude of 1000 feet AGL, what is the minimum visibility and cloud clearance if remaining within 1/2 mile of the airport?

• A. 0.5 SM visibility and clear of clouds
• B. 1 SM visibility and clear of clouds
• C. 3 SM visibility with a cloud clearance of 1000 feet above
• D. 2 SM visibility with no cloud clearance requirement

Answer: (B)

When operating in the airport’s traffic pattern at night and you’re within 1/2 mile of the field, the required weather minimums are one statute mile of visibility and you must be clear of clouds. This setup keeps you in visual reference with the runway and nearby traffic while you maneuver at pattern altitude (1000 ft AGL). The other options imply greater visibility or cloud clearance than is required for this specific in-pattern, near-field situation.

When operating in the airport’s traffic pattern at night and you’re within 1/2 mile of the field, the required weather minimums are one statute mile of visibility and you must be clear of clouds. This setup keeps you in visual reference with the runway and nearby traffic while you maneuver at pattern altitude (1000 ft AGL). The other options imply greater visibility or cloud clearance than is required for this specific in-pattern, near-field situation.